8096 Book(s) Related to a shadow in the ember vk

"Stay with me, Luna. Please. I can't lose you both."
Her eyes were on mine and I could see the resolution and gratefulness in her eyes despite the pain.
"You never deserved us. We were too good for you. If I had another chance," she whispered slowly pausing to breathe, "I would never stay with you. I would save my son from your indifference. I would spare us both the pain of loving someone who never loved us back."
"I did love you," I insisted, tears rolling down my face. "I do love Ollie. Please, Luna."
"Next time," she promised, a smile on her lips and tears running down freely her side of her eyes, "we'll be free."


Luna has tried her best to make her forced marriage to Xen work for the sake of their child. But with Riley and Sophia- Xen's ex-girlfriend and her son in the picture. She fights a losing battle.
Ollie, Xen's son, is neglected by his father for a very long time, and he is also suffering from a mysterious sickness that's draining his life force.
When his last wish to have his dad come to his 5th birthday party is dashed by his failure to show up, Ollie dies in an accident after seeing his father celebrate Riley's birthday with Sophia, and it's displayed on the big advertising boards that fill the city.
Ollie dies, and Luna follows after, unable to bear the grief, dying in her mate's hands, cursing him and begging for a second chance to save her son.
Luna gets the opportunity and is woken up in the past, exactly one year to the day, Sophia and Riley show up.
But this time around, Luna is willing to get rid of everyone and anyone, even her mate, if he steps in her way to save her son.

"You're pathetic." Sophia's manicured nails dug into my shoulder. "A wolfless freak who thinks she can fight back?"

The storage room door slammed shut. The lock clicked.

My inhaler was in my locker. My lungs seized. Darkness crept in.

"Help..." I wheezed. "Please..."

But they were already walking away, laughing.

Lynette, the most feared Alpha in the Canadian territories who ruled through blood and ice, dies in an ambush—only to wake up as Elara Grey, a seventeen-year-old wolfless Omega who just suffocated to death from bullying.

The original Elara's life was pure torment. Humiliated by golden boy Blythe Harrison and his girlfriend Sophia Reign, then left to die gasping in a locked room. But that's not the worst part her family faces:

"Your adorable little family," the scarred mercenary held up their photo. "The black market's offering a million for you, Lynette. But them? They're just a bonus. I'll make sure they suffer as well."

Now Lynette's lethal instincts awaken in this fragile, asthmatic body.

She'll protect this family and destroy everyone who dared to hurt them—one brutal lesson at a time.

Five years ago, Elena overheard the ambiguous whispers between her husband Arthur and his first love. In that split second, all her love for him crumbled to dust. She left the country with her pregnant belly, vowing never to have any connection with this man again.​
Five years later, Elena returns to her home country with her twins Liam and Luna—now a world-renowned top doctor. Unexpectedly, she finds herself entangled with Arthur once more. His eyes reddening with emotion, he grabs her abruptly and pleads, "Elena, I was truly wrong. This time, I will never let you get hurt again."

“Be my wife for eighteen months, and I’ll save your sister, or I’ll walk out here and let her die! Don’t forget, I am your god on earth".This is not a coincidence. Who still believes in coincidences? Definitely not Sarah, but she has no choice but to taste an unfair share of it.

Sarah’s entire life takes an unexpected twist when she crosses paths with Derrick Duke, which leads to an irresistible night of passion. To her, it was just a means to get what she wanted to save her family, “no strings attached,” but fate and the universe served her a cruel meal

when tragedy began to haunt her family. A tragic accident ties Sarah's destiny back to the powerful Duke family, locking her into a deadly world of powerful secrets and forbidden desires. Little does she know that the man she loves and the devil she unwillingly helped are two opposites of a coin. But to save her family, Sarah agrees to Bobby Duke's ridiculous offer with choking terms and conditions. Now what

happens when she realises she just helped the devil? What happens when things begin to go the opposite way? What happens when she finds out the stranger she had a one-night stand with and fell in love with is the brother of the same devil after her life?

"Love doesn't hurt, Adrian. You did. I'm leaving to become someone you can't destroy. And when I return, you will learn what it means to lose everything."

Five years ago, Arabella Sterling vanished without a trace, disgraced, heartbroken, and branded her billionaire benefactor’s dirty secret.

What the world never knew was that she’d also been his wife.
Or that the man she loved—and the son she gave everything for—chose another woman over her.

Now, she’s back as The Reformer, a world-renowned business strategist celebrated for resurrecting dying empires.
Her newest client? The Sterling Group.
Her ex-husband’s empire.

Adrian Sterling has spent years trying to atone for the lies that destroyed them both.
But when Arabella walks into his boardroom, colder, sharper, untouchable...he realizes redemption may come at a cost he can’t pay.

Because this time, she’s not here to save him.

She’s here to ruin him.

From #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce comes a heart-pounding new mystery series.In the cornfields of Nebraska a woman is found murdered, strung up on a pole, the victim of a deranged killer. It doesn’t take long for the police to realize a serial killer is on the loose—and that his spree has just begun.Detective Mackenzie White, young, tough, smarter than the aging, chauvinistic men on her local force, finds herself called in grudgingly to help solve it. As much as the other officers hate to admit it, they need her young, brilliant mind, which has already helped crack cold cases that had left them stumped. Yet even for Mackenzie this new case proves an impossible riddle, something the likes of which she—and the local force—have ever seen.With the FBI called in, together, an intense manhunt ensues. Mackenzie, reeling from her own dark past, her failed relationships, and her undeniable attraction to the new FBI agent, finds herself battling her own demons as her hunt for the killer takes her to the darkest places of her mind. As she delves into the killer’s mind, obsessing over his twisted psychology, she finds that evil truly does exist. She only hopes it will not be too late to extricate herself from it, as her entire life collapses around her.As more bodies turn up dead and a frantic race against time ensues, there is no way out but to find him before he kills again.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, BEFORE HE KILLS marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #2 in the Mackenzie White Mystery series will be available soon. Also available by Blake Pierce is ONCE GONE (A Riley Paige mystery—Book #1), a #1 bestseller!

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) HOMECOMING (A Chloe Fine Mystery) is book #5 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has over 1,000 five-star reviews. When two husbands, best friends, turn up dead in a wealthy suburban town, FBI VICAP Special Agent Chloe Fine, 27, is called in to unmask the lies in this small town and to find the killer. Chloe will have to penetrate this town’s perfect façade, to get past its public appearances to understand the truth of who these men were, and who may have wanted them dead. And in a town that thrives on its exclusivity, that won’t be easy to do.What secrets were these husbands hiding?An emotionally wrought psychological suspense with layered characters, small-town ambiance and heart-pounding suspense, HOMECOMING is book #5 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #6 in the Chloe Fine series will also be available soon.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery) is book #1 in a new psychological thriller series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews. 55 year old empty nester—and freshly retired FBI agent—Kate Wise finds herself drawn out of her quiet suburban life when her friend’s daughter is murdered in a home invasion—and she is implored to help.Kate thought she left the FBI behind after 30 years as their top agent, respected for her brilliant mind, tough street skills and her uncanny ability to hunt down serial killers. Yet Kate, bored with the quiet town, at a crossroads in life, is summoned by a friend she can’t turn down.As Kate hunts the killer, she soon finds herself at the forefront of a manhunt, as more bodies turn up—all suburban moms in perfect marriages—and it becomes apparent there is a serial killer stalking this quiet town. She unearths secrets from her neighbors she wishes she never knew, discovering that all is not what it seems in this picture of model streets and neighbors. Affairs and lying are rampant, and Kate must sift through the town’s underbelly if she will stop the killer from striking again.But this killer is one step ahead of her, and it may end up being Kate who is in danger.An action-packed thriller with heart-pounding suspense, IF SHE KNEW is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #2 in the KATE WISE MYSTERY series is coming soon!

A week before our wedding, I discovered my girlfriend wearing the wedding dress I bought her, having sex with her step-brother.
I decisively chose to abandon her and instead accepted a marriage proposal from a true wealthy heiress.
But when I married the heiress, my ex-girlfriend knelt on the ground crying and begging me to come back.
What a pity - I no longer want her.

For four years, I tolerated Grayson’s blatant favoritism. He spoiled my roommate Mia with exquisite breakfasts every day, while leaving me with plain biscuits and bitter black coffee. I swallowed every unfair slight, hoping for true love. Yet he finally humiliated me thoroughly by choosing Mia over me for the elite corporate event, sneering that I was unworthy of high society. Hiding my identity as the university’s secret heiress, I stopped my father from ruining his career on impulse. I will let them attend the glamorous party—not out of mercy, but to deliver my quiet, devastating revenge. Now I only need time to decide my next move, and whether to accept my arranged engagement.

"Baby, lend me Stella for the movie."
When my fiancé Damon said this, I thought it was the most romantic thing ever. My guide dog starring in his Oscar-worthy film—what a perfect love story.
I'm Aria Sinclair, 26-year-old blind film producer with perfect pitch and endless money, but no eyes. So when he said "The press will go crazy for our story," I stupidly agreed.
Three weeks later, in the editing room:
01:47:23—Dull impact.
01:47:31—Familiar whimper.
01:47:35—Silence.
My perfect pitch never lies. That wasn't CGI—that was real impact. Worse, I knew that whimper. That was Stella, my guide dog, my eyes, my most loyal companion.
They killed her. For a goddamn trophy.
On premiere night, when Damon walked the red carpet with a strange German Shepherd, when I touched her paw and found no white star-shaped mark—
"This is not my dog!"
I broke down in front of hundreds of reporters.
"Honey, you're under too much stress," Damon said gently. "Maybe you need rest."
Whispers from the audience: "Poor blind girl..." "She really needs help..."
Just like that, I became the crazy one.
Abandoned by the world.
Betrayed by the man I loved most.
But they made one fatal mistake—they thought stealing my eyes would silence me.
Now it's time to let them hear what despair sounds like...
[Click to watch me destroy them both...]

I pursued Kaelzen, Alpha of the Frostfang Tribe, for four years and was about to marry him, only to expose his deception shortly before the wedding. A serious head injury erased all my memories of him. My family arranged a new marriage with the Duskthorn Tribe heir, and I agreed, planning to leave once the Ash Gate opens in seven days. Unaware of my memory loss, Kaelzen still treats me arrogantly, yet he is just a stranger to me now.

I bought a handsome, aloof incubus from a clearance sale online to be my live-in maid.
For a week, he was perfect. Then he started fainting, his skin burning with a fever no amount of rest could fix. Panicked that I’d somehow overworked my best employee, I called the 24/7 Aphrodisiac (companyI bought him from) helpline.

Ma’am, our incubus models have a demonic lineage and you have got a high-output model. They have near-infinite stamina. They don't get 'feverish' from vacuuming. But... why did you have him doing 'housework'?"
"Because the house was dirty?"
The agent suddenly chuckled. "Ah, I see. Everyone has their own fantasies and kinks. Roleplay is very popular. But tell me, according to the log, when was the last time Xanthos received physical intimacy?"
"Huh?"
"Physical intimacy," the agent repeated. "Love, spoiling, skin-to-skin contact. If a male incubus doesn't get intimacy, his internal energy stagnates. They fall sick. Male models are much higher maintenance than females; they need constant affection to stay healthy."
My blood ran cold. "Affection? I bought him to mop the floors!"
"Ma'am," the agent's voice dropped. "You are on Aphrodisiac. We are the world's leading provider of supernatural escorts. Did you... did you not read the site description?"

Turns out, I hadn’t bought a demonic domestic servant.
I’d accidentally purchased a high-maintenance supernatural escort.
And apparently, if I didn’t start showing my “maid” some affection soon, he would die and I would be jailed for abusing my maid.

Isabella’s world shatters when her longtime boyfriend, Damon Sanchez, publicly proposes to her best friend. Humiliated and heartbroken, she drowns her sorrows in a bar—only to wake up on the bed of Matteo Moretti, the city’s most powerful billionaire.
Their one-night stand should have been the end of it.
But when her brother Alan's illness and Damon's vengeance leave her jobless, fate delivers Isabella straight into the jaws of her most dangerous mistake—Matteo Moretti, now her ruthless new boss.
Caught between Damon’s vindictive games and Moretti’s dangerous allure, Isabella must decide—is survival worth the cost of her heart?
Especially when Matteo’s seven-year-old son, Noah, starts calling her "Mom."

"What do you think I want to do Amelia?" Mr handsome asked as he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, he placed his lips just below it as he sucked on it.
"Nngh don't do that" Amelia practically moaned as Mr handsome's tongue swirled on her sensitive spot, far too urgently. Amelia forced her hand out of his grip as she pushed his chest gently.
Mr handsome pulled out a red velvet box from his pocket, Amelia stared at it skeptically. "What is that?" She asked as she looked up at it.
Mr handsome thought she knew what it was but sadly she didn't.
"It's a wedding ring, Amelia. I'm agreeing to that tempting proposal of yours and I'll have my lawyer draft out the agreement," Mr handsome said as he stood up from the bed, standing in front of her as he put on a sexy smirk.


On her wedding day, Amelia’s world shatters when she catches her fiancé, Diego, betraying her with her best friend, Viola. Devastated, she flees, only to be involved in a car accident—yet a mysterious man saves her.
That man is Colton—Diego’s uncle—who, coincidentally, needs a wife for his own reasons. Seeing an opportunity for revenge, she proposes a deal: she’ll pose as Colton’s fiancée and take down Diego and Viola.
As their scheme unfolds, Amelia and Colton find themselves drawn to each other in ways they never expected. But their growing feelings are tangled in deception, old wounds, and unresolved secrets. When Amelia is poisoned and barely survives, Colton vows to uncover the truth and protect her at all costs.
Can their love survive the weight of revenge, or will the truth tear them apart?

In a world where the magic of the ocean and the secrets of the moon intertwine, Mia, a dazzling golden mermaid, dreams of true love. During a festive night on the beach, her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Andrew, a charismatic scientist who hides a dark secret: he is a werewolf. The connection between them is instantaneous, but happiness is short-lived, as the evil mermaids who stalk the werewolves are quick to show their cruelty..
When these evil mermaids kidnap Mia, her life is extinguished in a tragic twist of fate. Heartbroken, Andrew defied the laws of nature in a desperate attempt to revive her.
Thus, using Mia's organs and heart, he creates a new creature: a reborn mermaid, powerful and passionate, endowed with extraordinary abilities and, most importantly, a deep connection to him.

Now, this new mermaid awakens in a world where love and revenge intertwine. Though her essence is that of Mia, the reborn mermaid, whom Andrés has named Selene, carries with her fragments of memories that emerge in flashes, leaving her conflicted between her new identity and the love that binds her to Andrés.

Selene discovers that her resurrection has not been without consequences. The sciencie Andrés used to bring her back has upset the balance between sea creatures and werewolves, unleashing the wrath of the evil mermaids who now seek revenge for Mia's death.

Catherina Hanshaw Dalton has spent six years believing she lived a fairytale, married to billionaire Xavier Dalton, cherished by him, and building a life rooted in devotion, even amid one heartbreak she cannot control: their inability to have a child. Though Xavier assures her she is enough, Catherine senses his quiet disappointment, a wound deepened by the venomous hostility of his mother, Lydia Dalton. Lydia never misses a chance to insult Catherine’s infertility, idolize Xavier’s sister Mia and her children, or imply Xavier married beneath his status. Catherine endures it all, clinging to the one constant comfort, Xavier always defends her. Or so she believes.
This Christmas, however, Catherine’s dread of another humiliating Dalton family gathering turns into confusion. Lydia is gracious….kind, even. The manor is full of relatives, business partners, and esteemed guests, including Hunter Powell, Xavier’s ruthless business rival. The brief moment when Cathy’s eyes meet Hunter unsettles her, but nothing prepares her for Lydia’s “special Christmas gift.”
During the toast, Lydia presents Caroline Turner…a beautiful young woman who is allegedly four months pregnant through surrogacy…with Xavier’s child.

“Thriller writing at its best. Thriller enthusiasts who relish the precise execution of an international thriller, but who seek the psychological depth and believability of a protagonist who simultaneously fields professional and personal life challenges, will find this a gripping story that's hard to put down.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Any Means Necessary)“One of the best thrillers I have read this year. The plot is intelligent and will keep you hooked from the beginning. The author did a superb job creating a set of characters who are fully developed and very much enjoyable. I can hardly wait for the sequel.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Any Means Necessary)When nuclear waste is stolen by jihadists in the middle of the night from an unguarded New York City hospital, the police, in a frantic race against time, call in the FBI. Luke Stone, head of an elite, secretive, department within the FBI, is the only man they can turn to. Luke realizes right away that the terrorists’ aim is to create a dirty bomb, that they seek a high-value target, and that they will hit it within 48 hours.A cat and mouse chase follows, pitting the world’s most savvy government agents versus its most sophisticated terrorists. As Agent Stone peels back layer after layer, he soon realizes he is up against a vast conspiracy, and that the target is even more high value than he could have imagined—leading all the way to the President of the United States. With Luke framed for the crime, his team threatened and his own family in danger, the stakes could not be higher. But as a former special forces commando, Luke has been in tough positions before, and he will not give up until he finds a way to stop them—using any means necessary.Twist follows twist as one man finds himself up against an army of obstacles and conspiracies, pushing even the limits of what he can handle, and culminating in a shocking climax.A political thriller with heart-pounding action, dramatic international settings, and non-stop suspense, ANY MEANS NECESSARY marks the debut of an explosive new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.Book #2 in the Luke Stone series is also now available!

“A MASTERPIECE OF THRILLER AND MYSTERY. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) FACE OF DEATH is book #1 in a new FBI thriller series by USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews. FBI Special Agent Zoe Prime suffers from a rare condition which also gives her a unique talent—she views the world through a lens of numbers. The numbers torment her, make her unable to relate to people, and give her a failed romantic life—yet they also allow her to see patterns that no other FBI agent can see. Zoe keeps her condition a secret, ashamed, in fear her colleagues may find out.Yet when a serial killer strikes across the Midwest, strangling women in remote places and seemingly at random, Zoe, for the first time, is stumped. Is there a pattern? Can there be no pattern at all? Or is this killer as obsessed with numbers as she is?In a mad race against time, Zoe must enter the diabolical mind of a killer who always seems to be one step ahead of her, and stop him from claiming his next victim before it’s too late. At the same time, she must keep at bay her own demons, which may ultimately prove to be even more threatening.An action-packed thriller with heart-pounding suspense, FACE OF DEATH is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Books #2 and #3 in the series—FACE OF MURDER and FACE OF FEAR—are also available for pre-order.

Luna Chen wanted a quiet life. Instead, she got a 1940s architect in a tailored suit who appeared in her bedroom at 3 a.m. and calmly announced:

“You’re my wife now.”

Rhen Blackwood has been trapped in her grandmother’s apartment for eighty years, bound by a supernatural contract.

The final condition? Fall in love for real… or the Spirit Broker drags his soul into eternal nothingness.

Luna doesn’t believe in ghosts. She definitely doesn’t believe in love. But Ren is infuriatingly perceptive, dryly funny, and the only person who sees straight through her walls.

As the deadline closes in, the lines between annoyance and aching want begin to blur. Lights flicker. Secrets surface.

And every time Ren’s form starts to fade, Luna realizes she might lose the one man who finally makes her feel alive.

She was supposed to fix his unfinished business.
She never expected him to become hers.

A slow-burn paranormal romance full of dark humor, haunted hearts, and one very stubborn ghost who refuses to stay dead.

Woke up with the power to command endless zombies. I guarded the fortress for my sister, only to find her tortured, drained of blood, and used as live bait. A fake hologram fooled me for two years. Now I unleash my million undead army to burn all traitors to ashes.

Three years since I married into the Hawthorne family, I had already lost two children.
And the one who decided whether my babies lived or died wasn't a doctor—it was a potted plant in the manor's living room: the Crimson Orchid.
In this family, if the petals withered and reeked after drinking the pregnancy blood, it was an unbreakable rule: the child had to go.
The first two times, all I could do was lose my children in despair under the anesthetic mask at some underground clinic.
To save my third pregnancy, I secretly went to a top medical center out of state for an amniocentesis.
The diagnosis, there in black and white, proved it: my baby was perfectly healthy and carried the purest family bloodline.
I thought I was safe this time. But when my finger blood dripped into the black soil again, the orchid once more oozed foul-smelling black water.
My in-laws crushed my medical report underfoot without mercy and had their people drag me toward the operating table.
I couldn't understand it: the scientific evidence clearly confirmed my child was healthy and pure-blooded.
Why did they insist on trusting a mutated, stinking flower and killing their own grandchildren over and over again?

With only three days left until the apocalyptic fungal outbreak, my ordinarily strict father unexpectedly took out a million-dollar loan from a loan shark, transferred it to my account, and issued an absolute order: "Buy supplies, build a fortress, and even if you die, do not open that door!"

Staring at the seven-figure balance, I grabbed a liquor bottle, shattered the nose of the school bully who used to torment me, and instantly kicked off a frantic hoarding spree. I bought out a penthouse on the 50th floor, welded on a bank-vault-grade blast door, and stockpiled an endless supply of Tomahawk steaks and a massive arsenal of weapons.

When the disaster finally struck, the once-arrogant rich kids downstairs were reduced to bloody fodder for the monsters. The starving school bully knelt outside my door, tearing into his own companions just for a leftover bone. Meanwhile, separated by bulletproof glass, I sipped an ice-cold cola and coldly enjoyed the show.

Just as a massive horde of the infected surrounded the building, my parents unexpectedly arrived in a Unimog heavy armored vehicle armed to the teeth, crushing through the sea of corpses in a dominant rescue. With our family reunited and packing heavy firepower, we violently tore open our own path of rampage across this scorched wasteland!

When Trevor Sullivan had nothing, I gave up billions to follow him to Silicon Valley. Everyone said I was crazy in love with him, until his first love came back to the States right after he made it big.

Seven years of playing the perfect wife and mother, and then I hear him coaching our five-year-old daughter: "Ruby, you can't tell Mommy about my fake wedding with Amber. Not a word, okay?"

"But Daddy, Mommy's gonna be sad..."

"If you tell Mommy, Daddy won't love you anymore. Got it?"

My daughter trembles, nodding frantically.

I stand outside the door, my heart turning to ash.

For the woman he never got over, he doesn't just betray our marriage. He makes our five-year-old lie for him.

Everyone expects me to cry, to beg, to fall apart.

Instead, I dial the number I blocked seven years ago: "Dad, can the family jet still come get me?"

Trevor Sullivan has no idea. I was never some gold digger who needed him to survive. I was the one with everything who made myself small for his sake.

It's supposed to be our last class trip before graduation. The bus loses control on a mountain road and goes over the edge.

I think we're all going to die.

When I open my eyes again, I'm sitting in a classroom that looks like it's been rotting for decades.

A system alert blares through my skull:

【Welcome to Ravenwood High. Unnameable creatures roam the campus. Survive 7 days. Uncover the truth behind the campus Boss's death. Every player who dies adds $800,000 to the prize pool. Make it out, and the money is yours.】

Everyone loses it. Screaming, crying, total chaos. The first thing Brett does is shove me toward the door to check the hallway. Because of course he does. I'm the class punching bag. The girl nobody would miss.

Everyone assumes I'll be the first to die.

What nobody sees is the smile pulling at the corner of my mouth as I stand at that door, staring at whatever is writhing in the shadows of the hallway.

They kept me shackled before the Gates of the Abyss, force-feeding me toxic sludge and draining my final drop of blood, all to maintain their hypocritical "order." They called me the "Ultimate Anchor," unaware that the moment a watchdog decides it’s done playing the dog, the beast in the cage finally wakes up. From the very second I seized the laws of physics, this entire headquarters of the Defense Bureau became my private mausoleum. Your high-and-mighty Director? He’s currently kneeling in my cycle, begging for the sweet release of death. As for that Void Rift that makes the world tremble? Sorry, I just ate it for dinner.

Since marrying into the Sterling family, I've been pregnant three times. Not one of them survived.

Every time the DNA test report arrived, my mother-in-law would drag me to the clinic for an abortion.

They said the fetus had genetic defects. But I secretly went to an outside hospital for tests, and the report clearly stated everything was normal.

After my third miscarriage, I followed my in-laws to the basement I was forbidden to enter.

I held my breath and pressed my eye to the crack in the door.

In that moment, I finally knew why they had to kill my babies.

I had always firmly believed that my husband loved me deeply.
However, when I was diagnosed with a terminal illness and my father was on the brink of death, I called my husband to seek help with medical expenses. To my shock, a woman answered the phone.
With a sharp and sarcastic tone, she revealed:
My husband doesn't love you at all; he married you only to take revenge on you, to torment you...
（I highly recommend a captivating book that I couldn't put down for three days and nights. It's incredibly engaging and a must-read. The title of the book is "The Billionaire's Daughter" You can find it by searching for it in the search bar.）

TRIGGER WARNING!!!

The second half of this book contains everything rated 18+. If you are not into dark romance, please do not read it in the name of everything holy.

Excerpt

"I own you, Reyana. You are mine... Mine to torture... Mine to claim... Mine to punish... and nothing will ever save you from me. Not even death!" His words were heavy and true. He meant every word he said.


Bound by an oath, the Blood Crescent pack has kept a prophecy hidden for over 300 years.

Alpha Randall, the most ruthless Alpha of his time was a god among men, rich in power, strength, wealth, achievements... No one comes close. He was the envy of all.

Wherever he went, he left a trail of death and darkness, and no one ever prayed to be mated to such a monster, but fate had a different plan for him.

His world began crumbling when he was mated to Reyana, his Beta's girlfriend, whom he hated with passion.

Reyana was doomed when Alpha Randall refused to claim her, neither was he willing to reject her, not only because he had a mistress, Visha, whom he loved so much... He had other reasons.

Torn between two women, the secret of the prophecy was on the verge of crumbling as, unknown to Randall, one of these women was meant to be his downfall, while the other was the key to unlocking the prophecy.

What happens when Randall's biggest nightmare is unlocked and the Dark-eyed monster whom he thought he killed years ago resurfaces, threatening his very existence?

Let's find out in this heart-racing piece filled with suspense, Steamy romance, and betrayal.

Brace yourselves. This will be one of the most twisted, mind-blowing stories you'll ever come across.

Adriano Moretti rules the city’s underworld in smoke-filled rooms and blood-soaked streets. In the daylight, he’s the king of the tech world—tailored suits, sharp smiles, every inch the respectable billionaire. But to those who cross him, he’s the executioner they never see coming.

Some confessions are meant to heal.
Others are meant to be hunted.

The Service was never supposed to be justice.
Disguised as anonymous therapy, it became a place where millions confessed their darkest sins—believing no one was listening.

They were wrong.

He built The Service to find the truth behind the fire that killed the woman he loved.

It was never about power.
It was never about control.
It was about hearing her name spoken by the person responsible.

Then Isabella returns.

Very much alive and changed. Carrying a child he never knew existed.

Six years after the fire, the ghost he buried walks back into his life, and Adriano refuses to let her disappear again. What begins as control turns into confrontation. Old wounds reopen. Secrets surface. And love—sharper, angrier, and more dangerous than before—demands to be reckoned with.

But the past isn’t finished with them.

A rogue system, born from betrayal and grief, resurfaces—one that can turn the city itself into a weapon. And the truth about the night that tore them apart finally comes to light.

Adriano must choose between the man he became in the ashes…
and the family he never knew he could still have.

（There is a lot of sexual and stimulating content， minors are not allowed to read!!!）
Victoria was raised in the mountains where she was abandoned. After her father's accidental death, her mother remarried a wealthy man.
Upon being brought to the city, she discovered that her mother wasn't heartless, but had given all her love to her favored stepdaughter.
Victoria was then married off to the unconscious Edward. Who would have thought that on her wedding night, she would have her pants taken off by her 'vegetative' husband Edward?
Help! If only she had known, she wouldn't have treated Edward. After he recovered, she realized that her husband possessed not only wealth but also a lot of energetic sperm!
Pregnant Victoria, sought after by top doctors, became a prominent figure. Those who had bullied her were in tears. Even the proud Edward was flustered.
This outstanding Victoria was his discovery, so why were people coming forward to claim kinship? Oh well, his wife was too formidable. Whether he was the richest man or not didn't matter; he didn't mind becoming a son-in-law.
Victoria wanted to refuse. She wanted to return to her rightful life and walk the path of a wealthy heiress, with this young and handsome man... No, no! Her back was sore! Edward at home was insatiable!

Mike Pike, the Royal Beta of the New Moon Kingdom was once looking forward to finding his mate at one time. Circumstances changed his mind when he met Jonda six months ago on his quest to find his missing king.
He fell in love and fully intended to take Jonda as his chosen mate.
That was until he found out the love of his life had cheated on him, and on the same night, he ran down his mate who stole Queen Tala's Crown.
Now the thief needs his help to protect her son from the Shadow Witch, the same Dark witch that searches for four ancient stones to open the realms gates, unleashing the god of the underworld.

Mike:
It didn't matter if my mate turned up out of the blue, or that the goddess fated me to a thief and murderer.
I had chosen Jonda the moment I laid eyes on her. My wolf had chosen too.
One night was all it took to knock my realm off kilt and shatter my heart.
A Dark Witch is on the hunt and he's hunting for two things. A set of stones and the jewel thief - Lyric Swift - My mate and her son.

Lyric:
For five years I have lived as a rogue, wheeling and dealing to survive. For three years I have been a mother. I would do anything to protect my son's secret. Even if that means trusting my Beta mate, a mate I can't be with, a mate I couldn't give myself to. A mate who is in love with another. A mate who makes me feel things I don't want to.

Pythia comes from a long line of dark witches, she killed her mother for her reckless behavior and becomes the queen of the dark witches and teamed up with the Great White Witch and the vampire queen to fight in the battle to keep the balance in all the different worlds, she meets her mate, Tye in the great battle. Tye is the great white witches brother and a alpha. Together they will embark on a battle to correct the elders and take a step forward to peace among the dark witches, the road is long especially when they find out Pythias true royalty line. When realms collide and the moon goddess has to step in and not only aid because of the new found threat but to tell the secrets she has helped keep hidden for many years, Pythia is forced to train harder, work harder and plan for the absolute unexpected but, as she learns her true powers she starts to realize that she can handle anything that may threaten her and her family.
The vampire queen (Ambrosia) and Pythia will become close and discover the true origins of their pasts. They rely on each other when their mates are not around. New family is discovered and it is time they all come together to face one of the toughest moments in the dark witches history.

Trixie was twelve years old when her parents, the Luna and alpha of the pack, were killed in a rogue attack, or what she thought was a rogue attack. Since she was the only child, the only heir, she should have been next in line for the alpha position. Since she was only 12 her uncle took over as alpha. For 5 years her uncle and his family has mistreated her. Stripped her of her title. He has constantly tried to steal her inheritance her parents left her. With time not on his side, her uncle Melvin, signs her up for the yearly tournament being held at palace. Where he plans to finally end Trixie and finally get his hands on her money. Trixie’s luck changes when she’s finds her mates. The twin Lycan Kings.

Blurb:
“I remember bits and pieces, but nothing clear. My mate, King Lucian, has told me stories about my past, but I cannot actually recall the events myself. It is very frustrating,”

The foundation of Celestia's world came crashing down on the night, her pup was wrenched out of her hands and placed in the arms of her mate's first love Afterward she was framed for crimes she didn't commit rejected, stripped of her title as Luna, her wolf and discarded to die a rogue.

But Celestia would not die, she would claw her way back to the top until she stood by the side of the most powerful man on the continent.

Will she be able to claim her revenge or will she take back the man who made her lose it all?

Lisa, a cheerful and strong young woman, lived in the human realm with her mother. Her life took a dark turn when she met the werewolf king, his imposing presence casting a shadow over her once peaceful life, and found herself enslaved in a cruel world she never knew existed.
*
A deadly aura radiated from his body as he menacingly stared at her. His words, like a heavy chain, bound her to a fate she hadn’t imagined. “These are my rules, mate. Know your place, submit to me whenever I desire, bear me an heir, and be obedient to my wife.”
“I will never be a monster’s mate,” I hissed, defiance burning in my eyes.
“I’m not asking you to be my mate, little wolf, because you don’t deserve to rule beside me. Instead, you will become my concubine and bear my child in place of my wife."

When their real daughter came home, my foster parents threw me out like trash.
But before I could even leave, my foster sister pinned a murder charge on me.
I watched the police rush toward me. Then I lifted my foster sister's arm—the one still marked with fresh needle punctures—and smiled at the crowd.
They had no idea who they were dealing with.
Beneath this unremarkable face, I am a once-in-a-century medical genius, a phantom hacker, an elite designer... Even if my birth family lived in the poorest slum in the city, I could give them a life beyond their wildest dreams.
But then, the cheerful jingle of an ice cream truck cut through the chaos.
And a fleet of Rolls-Royces pulled up behind it.
Turns out, my real family isn't poor at all. They might just be the richest people in the country.
Well then. The game just changed.

How ruthless can life be? When you've fallen to your lowest point, what choices are left? Would you surrender, or would you fight if someone's very existence hinged on your strength?

Amber's existence with her stepmother and stepsister was a relentless nightmare. She endured their demands, taking on illicit jobs to save her nephew Chase.

One harrowing night, Amber narrowly escaped an assault by a sadistic patron at the casino; she unexpectedly had a one-night stand with a stranger.

When her job at the casino was gone, Amber faced a desperate decision. She was forced into marrying Stefan Morgan. To her shock, Stefan was the very man from her night of forbidden passion.

Would Stefan learn she was just a substitute bride? What path would fate bring her when Stefan’s identity is revealed?

Every glimmer of happiness in Amber's life seems fleeting. Will her marriage to Stefan alter her fate and bring her the joy she desperately seeks, or will it plunge her into a new realm of suffering?

I know what you are thinking!?
That this is a beautiful Lycan Love story. I am exactly not in the right mood to tell you how absolutely wrong you are.
Beautiful? It's not a word I am sure is related to me. Love? I am not entirely sure if I can say I have ever experienced that. Lycan? I have not even been given the luck of being that. What can I even really say I am? Even I lack the right answer to this question. All I know is that right now, I am wrapped around Jacob's back as he runs through the thick forest, blood trickling down my face, his heart beating so fast like it's about to burst open, and am sure he is probably praying to the mother goddess that we do not get caught as he runs with me on his back.
Me?
I am Number 28. No. That is not the name my mother gave me, it is my identity in the pack I come from. I am a Doulos, meaning Slave. No, I am not a slave actually, I am a slave of slaves. Slaves are permitted to keep their birth names, but Doulos, we are identified by numbers, worst than slaves, servants to slaves. We are the lowest rank of shame in the pack, and I, I am one of them, No. 28.
I may have been free once, a noble perhaps, but that may have happened while I was in my mother's womb, and my father was still alive. But everything changed the day I was born. I was told my father died in battle the day I was born while disobeying the Alpha and leading a thousand plus of the packs finest soldiers to death.
My birth name is Ianna Evar, and this is my story beginning from two weeks ago!

Do you remember the story of Rapunzel, the long golden-haired girl trapped in a tower.

And do you remember the witch that took her, because of a feud from both siblings. The woman no one knew the tower was originally built for.

What you don't know was that that witch was once a Queen. And across the kingdoms of Arrandelle and Seatopia, jealousy does more than poison hearts between two sisters, it created curses.

When Princess Athalia, driven by envy and desperate longing, forges a forbidden pact to gain beauty and influence, she unknowingly ignites a chain of events that twists love into obsession and ambition into ruin.

The sorcerer’s bargain demands an impossible pact, else she will face destruction. But how long will the result of Athalia’s ambition and jealousy grow?

This is the untold origin of the witch and Rapunzel's parents, reimagined into a darker tale where every spell demands a sacrifice and every fairy tale begins with a sin.

For twenty-seven years, Kael Draven bled for the Empire, conquered its enemies, and became the legendary Black Shogun feared across the continent. On the day of his greatest victory, the Emperor he served, the friend he trusted, and the priests he protected repaid him with betrayal and a public execution.
Instead of dying, Kael awakens thirty-five years in the past as a powerless orphan in a forgotten village at the dawn of the Demon Sengoku Era.
Armed with memories of future wars, hidden treasures, legendary heroes, and the apocalypse that will one day destroy humanity, Kael refuses to repeat his fate. He will claim every opportunity before his enemies, build his own kingdom from nothing, and crush those who once stood over his corpse.
But as history begins to change, Kael discovers a terrifying truth: he is not the only one who remembers the future, and someone else is secretly rewriting destiny from the shadows.
In an age of warlords, demons, ancient gods, and endless conquest, can Kael save the world before it falls, or will his second life lead to an even greater catastrophe?

Kerri Coleman thought her worst nightmare was divorcing Liam Tate - Hollywood's hottest actor and the man she loved in secret.
But when she exposed their hidden marriage, the world didn't crown her his wife... it crucified her as his scandal. Betrayed, penniless, and hunted by Liam's furious fans, she had nowhere left to turn.
Until she met him.
Arlo Frantz. Infamous mafia boss. The man who claimed he could give her back everything she lost. Fame. Power. Revenge.
But his price wasn't money.
It was marriage.
Now, Kerri must decide: will she risk falling into another dangerous union just to destroy the man who ruined her... or will she lose herself to the devil who wants to own her heart?

Selene Marionette Alvarez was once the devoted Luna-to-be of the West Pack—loyal, kind, and willing to sacrifice everything for love. Betrayed by her mate and her own sister, her life ended under the cold light of the full moon.

But death was not the end.

Bound to a mysterious moon hourglass linked to her bloodline, Selene is sent six years into the past, awakening in a life she no longer lives and a world that has not yet broken her. Armed with memories of betrayal and the truth of her own murder, she returns not as a victim, but as a woman determined to rewrite her fate.

As Selene navigates her second life, she hides her sharp mind and simmering rage behind a familiar mask of warmth and charm. While those around her remain unaware, she carefully reshapes relationships, consolidates her influence, and prepares for the future she knows is coming.

When a new mate—Ryzen Jarren Morwood—enters her life, Selene is forced to confront a question she never expected: can a heart once shattered choose love again?

The Luna Who Reversed the Moon’s Hourglass is a story of revenge, rebirth, and redemption—where fate is challenged, power is reclaimed, and a Luna learns that sometimes survival is only the beginning.

I was kidnapped and sold as a slave, which was bad enough, until I found out that a giant, hairy monster had bought me, claimed to be my mate, and had a crazy one-night stand with me, and I realized that he wasn't human! He was a fucking werewolf? He wanted to keep me as his sex slave! Oh fuck, what the fuck had I gotten myself into? !

I didn't bother that we were at a party and that people might be looking at us when Amber grabbed me and crushed his lips against mine. I kissed him back hungrily, loving the taste of whisky on his tongue. Then Allen pulled me onto his laps and ordered me to do a lap dance for him. I ground myself on him, feeling him get harder as I moved.
A groan escaped from his throat and I smiled, loving the effect I was having on him.Alex's hands played with my swollen core until I could take it no more."Please..." I whispered, craving the pleasures that the three brothers could give me.Nancy, an adopted maid, finds herself unexpectedly entangled and irresistibly pulled to the handsome triplets of the Watt family. Despite the inner inner conflicts warring inside of her, she couldn't deny the growing connection that bound her to each of the brothers.Will she continue to resist the alluring call of passion and love, or will she surrender to the seductive pull of the triplets and become a maid made for them?

After dying in a meaningless accident, 28-year-old Korean ex-soldier and amateur chef Seo Jun-Ho is transmigrated into a brutal, merged world where Earth has been fused with an ancient tower system. Humanity is forced to climb endless mysterious Towers that appeared during the Great Collapse.
The world runs on "Essence", a system that rewards strength, crafting, taming, and conquest. Most people struggle just to survive the first 10 floors. Seo Jun-Ho discovers he has a unique "Primordial Palate" trait that lets him cook monsters and magical ingredients into dishes that grant permanent stat boosts, skills, and evolution paths. Combined with his military background and a rare Beast Sovereign class, he begins building something far greater than just personal power.
As floors grow deadlier and ancient secrets awaken, Seo Jun-Ho will cook, tame, conquer, and rise until even the gods of the system tremble before the Beast Sovereign.